• Research Briefing

    Unemployment by Constituency, January 2011

    This paper presents labour market data for Parliamentary Constituencies. A summary of the latest national and regional labour market data is given, along with a selection of relevant constituency-level indicators including the latest Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimant count data. The latest data show: JSA claimant count unemployment fell by 4,100 in December 2010 to 1.46 million. The wider ILO-based measure of unemployment was 2.50 million in the period September-November 2010, a rise of 49,000 from the last quarter. The unemployment rate was 7.9. This edition of Unemployment by Constituency contains a special section on how unemployment and employment vary by age

  • Research Briefing

    Scotland Bill [Bill No 115 of 2010-11]

    The Scotland Bill was published on 30 November 2010, and is scheduled for second reading on 27 January 2011. The Bill contains provisions to give the Scottish Parliament greater responsibility for raising its own revenue, in addition the borrowing powers of the Scottish Government are extended. The Bill also changes the boundary of devolved powers by amending some of the reserved matters in the Scotland Act 1998. Some new matters are devolved, some are reserved. The Bill also proposes small changes to provisions concerning the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government.

  • Research Briefing

    Unemployment by Constituency, December 2010

    This paper presents labour market data for Parliamentary Constituencies. A summary of the latest national and regional labour market data is given, along with a selection of relevant constituency-level indicators including the latest Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimant count data.

  • Research Briefing

    National Insurance Contributions Bill: Committee Stage Report

    The National Insurance Contributions Bill increases the rates of National Insurance contributions (NICs) paid by employees, employers and the self-employed from April 2011 – and provides for the regional employer contributions holiday for new businesses. The Bill was published on 14 October and given a second reading in the Commons on 23 November. It was considered in Public Bill Committee in four sittings between 2 and 9 December. It was not amended.

  • Research Briefing

    Welfare to work programmes: an overview

    This note provides an overview of the main back-to-work schemes that offer support to unemployed individuals in their job search. The system is currently in a state of transition between the New Deal programmes of the previous Government and the Coalition Government's policy of replacing them with a new scheme called the Work Programme by summer 2011.

  • Research Briefing

    Savings Account and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill: Committee Stage Report

    The Bill gives effect to decisions made as part of the initial review of public expenditure undertaken soon after the 2010 General Election. This Paper summarises proceedings in the Commons Committee Stage of the Bill. Several amendments proposed but none were successful. The paper complements Research Paper 10/66, which was prepared for the Second Reading of the Bill.

  • Research Briefing

    Unemployment by constituency, November 2010

    This paper presents labour market data for parliamentary constituencies. A summary of the latest national and regional labour market data is given, along with a selection of relevant constituency-level indicators including the latest Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimant count data.

  • Research Briefing

    National Insurance Contributions Bill [Bill 79 of 2010-11]

    In its first Budget on 22 June 2010 the Coalition Government confirmed that the rates of National Insurance contributions (NICs) for employees, employers and the self-employed would rise by 1% from April 2011. The Government also stated that it would legislate to introduce a three-year regional NICs ‘holiday’ for new employers. Under the scheme new businesses may qualify for a deduction of up to £5,000 from the employer NICs that would normally be due, for each of the first ten employees they take on in their first year of business. However, new businesses in Greater London, the South East Region and the Eastern Region are specifically excluded from the scheme. The purpose of this Bill is to implement these two measures.

  • Research Briefing

    Finance (No.2) Bill 2010

    The Finance (No.2) Bill contains a series of minor and technical measures, most of which were announced in the then Labour Government's March 2010 Budget. The enactment of these measures was delayed by the timing of the 2010 General Election. In its first Budget on 22 June, the Coalition Government announced it would introduce two Finance Bills in 2010: the first to be passed for the summer recess to implement its key priorities, the second to be introuced in the autumn to clear these inherited measures. This note sets out the chronology of these events and a checklist of the Bill's contents.

  • Research Briefing

    Child Benefit for higher rate taxpayers

    At the Conservative Party Conference in October 2010 the Chancellor announced that from January 2013 Child Benefit would be withdrawn from families with a higher rate taxpayer. This note looks at the background to the announcement and at reactions to it. Revised proposals for a “High Income Child Benefit Charge” were presented in Budget 2012 under which Child Benefit would instead be clawed back from families where the highest earner had an income in excess of £50,000. Further details can be found in Library briefing SN06299, Child Benefit for higher income families.

  • Research Briefing

    Unemployment by Constituency, October 2010

    This paper presents labour market data for Parliamentary Constituencies. A summary of the latest national and regional labour market data is given, along with a selection of relevant constituency-level indicators including the latest Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimant count data.

  • Research Briefing

    Lawful Industrial Action (Minor Errors) Bill Bill No 4 of 2010/11

    The Bill proposes reducing regulatory burdens on trade unions in relation to the balloting and notice requirements for lawful industrial action. It extends the provision for small accidental errors contained in section 232B of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. The burden of proof in applications by an employer to restrain strike action by injunction will be changed. The employer will have to show that the union has failed to achieve “substantial compliance” with the ballot and notice requirements.

  • Research Briefing

    Unemployment by constituency, September 2010

    This paper presents labour market data for Parliamentary Constituencies. A summary of the latest national and regional labour market data is given, along with a selection of relevant constituency-level indicators including the latest Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimant count data.

  • Research Briefing

    Unemployment by constituency, August 2010

    This paper presents labour market data for parliamentary constituencies. A summary of the latest national and regional labour market data is given, along with a selection of relevant constituency-level indicators including the latest Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimant count data (for July 2010).